


A Change of Fate

by mayawrites95 (mayarox95)



Series: Wish Upon A Star [12]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-17
Updated: 2014-04-17
Packaged: 2018-05-30 09:29:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6418105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayarox95/pseuds/mayawrites95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: Emma is pulled through the portal at the end of 3b, and needs to fight with Killian to get back without messing up the time lime</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part I

Emma remembered sitting in the hospital, laughing with her family; her mom, her dad, her son, and her brother, but also with Killian. They had just defeated Zelena not more than an hour ago, and it seemed that for the moment that all was well.

Soon she would leave, go back to her life in New York, but for now, she would stay here, happy with the family she never had growing up. She wanted what was best for her son, and a land without magic, curses, wicked witches, or other dreadful things would be it.

But then came the flash green of light, sweeping them away from Storybrooke.

* * *

 

Emma fell back on the hard ground with a _thud_. She looked around to see forest surrounding her on all sides. Frowning, Emma sat up, unsure of how she got there. Killian was still out of it, lying beside her.

She reached over and shook him, “Killian, wake up,” she said urgently. His blue eyes shot open in confusion, and he immediately shot up.

“Swan?” he asked her, uncertainly. “Where are we?”

“I have no idea,” she said sounding grim. “All I know is that one moment we were in the Enchanted Forest, and now we’re here, in some forest.”

“It doesn’t look like the Land Without Magic,” Killian speculated, as he squinted his eyes and looked around.

He stood up, and held out his hand to help her. Grateful, she grasped his hand as he pulled her to her feet.

“How do you know?” she asked as she looked around. If she were being truthful, she would admit that she couldn’t really tell the difference. But she didn’t want to say that aloud just yet.

He pointed to a nearby tree, “Those flowers growing on the ground are native to this land, and as far as I’m aware, they don’t exist in your land.”

She looked at where he was pointing, and saw the pink plants. They had a glow to them, something which was definitely magic related. And as far as she could tell, they definitely were not found in her world.

“What do we do?” she whispered. “We need to get back; Mary Margret and David will be wondering what happened to us. And Henry! He’s going to be so worried,” she said, upset.

“I don’t know, Lass,” Killian admitted gently.

“How did you get back last time?” she asked him frantically. “Obviously you didn’t have a bean; there are none of those left.”

“I used enchanted wood,” he said, sounding somewhat distant. She could tell that he was attempting to evade the subject.

“The wardrobe was burnt to ashes, and we used all of it,” Emma insisted firmly. “How did you get back?”

“Aye, Lass it was, but it is not the only enchanted wood in this realm. My ship, she was also made from enchanted wood,” he said softly.

“Was?” she asked him carefully.

“I needed to come back to you, Emma. I needed to save you. There never was any competition between your life and my ship,” Killian said, as he looked her directly in the eyes. “I burnt her to a crisp so I could get the ashes to use to come find you.”

She couldn’t breathe. She felt her heart constrict in her chest as he told her what he had done, “Why?” she whispered.

“Because I love you,” he said sadly, as if his love was unrequited.

She wanted to run. It was in her instincts to hide; to rise her walls up higher that before and to pretend she didn’t hear what he said. She wanted to be able to do it; it had kept her safe so many times before. But she couldn’t.

So instead she hugged him tightly, knocking him off guard. He seemed hesitant at first, but he wrapped his arms around her waist to bring her in tighter.

“Thank you,” she said softly into his chest. “Killian, I don’t want to fight it anymore. I’m tired of that. I’m tired of pretending that I don’t love you, or that I don’t need you, because none of it’s true. I’m tired of not being able to have you.”

He pulled away slightly, so he could look at her, “I will always be here, Emma. I’m not going anywhere.”

She brushed her lips against his. “I know. Now let’s go find a way to get out of here.”

They had walked no more than a mile when she saw the wanted poster, with a picture of none other than her mother.

**Wanted: Snow White, Dead or Alive**

_By Order of the Queen_

“Killian,” Emma said as she pointed to the poster. She ripped it off the tree and handed it to him. “How is this still here?”

“Could it have been left from before? When your mother was still being persecuted?” he asked her as he held the poster in his hand.

“No, I doubt it,” Emma said. “The paper looks brand new. Besides, doesn’t this forest look _odd_ to you? It’s so full of life. It wasn’t like this when I came here last time.”

“Nor was it when we all returned. Emma, this is the Enchanted Forest, but it isn’t the same as the one that once was here,”

The two of them walked further, until they managed to stumble upon a village. “Emma, Love, I need you to trust me. I know how to talk to these people, so please, let me take the lead,” he said softly as he slipped his fingers through hers.

She wanted to protest, to say that she was capable of handling herself, but she knew he was right, so she simply nodded.

“Excuse me,” he addressed a villager. “My wife and I are new to these parts. Could you possibly tell us who the ruler of the realm is?” he asked, sounding polite.

The man he was talking to, a short stout one, seemed to have fear cross his eyes, “The ruler is the Evil Queen, Regina. If I were you, I would turn around and get my wife safely out of these parts. It is not one safe for a newlywed couple such as yourself.”

Emma didn’t question how he came to that conclusion. “Do you think I could borrow a dress for my wife and myself? As you can see, our attire isn’t exactly of the norm, and I do not wish to draw any unexpected attention to ourselves while here.”

The villager nodded, “Of course. My wife has something which should fit you.”

The man scurried off, and Emma turned to him, “How could Regina be a ruler here? Isn’t she back in Storybrooke?”

“I think the question Lass, shouldn’t have been where are we, but _when_ ,” Killian said grimly. “It makes sense with the forest looking full of life, your mother on the run, and these villiagers scared mindless of their queen. Somehow, Zelena’s curse must have worked, bringing us all back to where we were before.”

“How are you here then?” she asked with a frown.

“I hadn’t come back from Neverland quite yet, I assume. When I returned, the queen was away as she was preparing for her curse to be cast, and captured me nearly as soon as I returned. You also belong in this world, but were not around yet. So the two of us were just dumped together, in a place where neither of us belong.”

“What about Henry,” Emma asked frantically. “What if he wasn’t brought back? Or what if he just wasn’t born?”

“I can’t pretend to tell you, Love,” he said softly. “All I know is that we need to find your mother and father, and see if they have a solution. But first, let’s change into more suitable clothing. Then we’ll do this the way we do everything; together.”

They took the clothing from the man, changed into it, and went on their way. It was going to be another long journey, but at least she wouldn’t be going through it alone.


	2. Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma sees her parents first meeting

“I don’t get it,” Emma said as they walked down the road. It had been nearly an hour since they had left the village, and they had yet to stumble upon anyone else.

Honestly, she knew it was called the Enchanted Forest, but she was so sick of seeing nothing but trees everywhere she turned.

“What, Lass?” Killian asked, as he turned his head sideways.

“Zelena. How did she get out of the prison? And if she got back here, why didn’t she go back further in time to wipe out my grandmother? Isn’t that what she wanted?”

“I wish I knew, Lass,” Killian said with a shake of his head. “Although, there was something Regina said back before all of this. She said she was only happy because she was given a second chance.”

“Because she didn’t succeed in killing my mother, she ended up happy,” Emma said with realization. “So if Zelena is here somehow, she’s going to make sure my mother ends up dead.”

Killian stopped and turned to her, “I’m not going to let that happen, Emma. I care about you and your family too much to let any harm come to them.”

“Our family,” she said softly, as she took her hands and held onto his. “I know David considers you to be a close friend, and Henry looks up to you, Killian. You’re not on the outside; they’re our family.”

“Thank you,” he said softly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in tightly. He pulled away slightly, “Emma, there’s a tree cut down on the road up ahead,” he said as he broke the moment.

She looked up to see a rather large tree fallen down. It didn’t look accidental, but almost as if someone had cut it down intentionally.

“We should be careful,” she said softly. “It could be bandits.”

They heard a neigh of horses, followed by the sound of what appeared to be a carriage being drawn by them. Someone was coming, and Emma didn’t want to take her chances.

“We should hide. It could be the bandits, or even worse, Regina and her men,” Killian said, as he dragged her to the side of the road. They hid behind a few trees and watched as the carriage came to a stop.

What Emma was not expecting was for her father to step out of it. Him, and a group of soldiers dressed in white walked over to the tree to inspect it.

“This didn’t fall; it looks like it was cut down,” David said. “Which means-”

“Stop! Thief!” a female’s voice cried from inside the carriage. Emma strained her head to see Kathryn inside. Why was her father with her? She saw a figure with a bag of what Emma presumed to be jewels ride off on a horse.

“I wonder who that is.” Emma remarked, as she watched David climb onto a horse and take off after the thief. For a shepherd, he sure acted like a prince. “Killian, I want to go see what happens. Even if we can’t talk to him just yet. I feel like this is something important.”

“Of course, Lass,” he said. “But we better go quickly. Our feet are no match for horses.”

She slipped her hand through his, and the two began running behind the horses, while staying hidden in the forest. Thankfully, her father and the thief hadn’t gotten too far.

They caught up just in time to see David pull himself on top of the thief.

“Show your face, you coward,” David said, as he pulled back ready to punch. “You’re a girl!”

“Woman,” the lady said. Emma nearly gasped when she realised just who it was.

“Is that your mother?” Killian breathed softly.

David seemed to be staring at her, half in confusion, half in awe. He didn’t seem to notice that she picked up a rock and hit him on the side of the head, causing him to fall over in pain.

Snow jumped up, and climbed on to her horse, while David staggered to his feet.

“You can’t hide from me!” David screamed after her, as Snow raced away. “Where ever you are, I will find you.”

It was weird to hear the phrase her father said to her mother so many times with love, be uttered with anger and animosity.

“I think we just witnessed how my parents met,” Emma said in awe. It was weird to watch. It definitely was nothing like the Disney version where Snow sang around a well and Charming came over to see her. It was more realistic, yet somehow still managed to have a fairy tale aura around it.

“What is it with you women hitting men in the head?” Killian asked with a half smirk. “I think I still have the scars from when you hit me back at Lake Nostros.”

She playfully bumped into him, as she watched her father get back on his horse and ride to where Katheryn was.

“Killian, I don’t know what to do. Do we follow them around and make sure nothing hurts my mother? Or do we go about our tasks and try and find Zelena,” Emma asked, sounding unsure.

“I think we need to see someone who can tell us all about which would be our best chance for winning,” Killian said grimly, and she knew he could only be talking about one person.

“Then I have to do it alone,” she said quietly.

“I’m not letting you talk to that _crocodile_ alone, Emma! I don’t care how much he progressed in our time. In this time, he is still the vile monster that he once was,” Killian said heatedly.

“Which is exactly why I have to do this alone,” Emma said firmly. “You’re right; he still is that monster. But in this time, you’re a villain obsessed with hunting him down and killing him. How would he react if he saw you? I can’t lose you, Killian; which is why I alone must summon him and why you cannot be there when I do.”

“I don’t like this idea,” Killian said softly. “But I trust you. I’ll wait here. You go far enough as you need to, and summon him. And when you’re done, come back to me, Swan.”

“I love you,” she told him gently. She wished he could be with her, but she was not willing to gamble with his life. If Rumplestilitskin was as bad as the stories made him out to be, then nothing would stop him from killing Killian if he wished it.

She turned, and walked a good five minutes up ahead, before stopping, “Rumplestilskin, I summon thee,” Emma said, as she quoted lines she had read in Henry’s book.

She heard a giggle from behind her, “Well, well, dearie. Aren’t you a pleasant surprise?”

“Do you know who I am?” Emma asked, not wanting to reveal anything

“Ah yes, the beloved Savior. I saw you, Dearie, so of course I know who you are.”

“Then you know why I called you, Rumplestilskin. I need your help to find Zelena and defeat her in this time. I cannot let her mess up the time stream,” Emma said frantically.

“And why would I do that,” he said, pretending not to be interested.

“Because you want something from me,” Emma said, as she looked at him. She could read people well enough at this point to know when someone did, and when to use it against them.

“Fine. She’s going to try and kill your mother. The only reason she stayed alive in your time stream is because she had friends to help her. Zelena is going to kill all of Snow’s allies, including your father, making it easy for Regina to pick her off,” Rumple said, with his beady eyes staring into her.

“How do I defeat her?” Emma asked.

“I don’t know the details of what happened in the future. But you have magic, Emma. Use your light magic to save everyone,” he said.

“It’s a bit late for that. I lost it to a curse. Zelena cast a spell on someone who I care about so that when I kissed him, my magic was taken away from me,” Emma said, hopelessly. If magic was her only solution, then they were all screwed.

“Pure magic cannot be permanently taken away, Saviour. It can however be disabled, which is what that witch did,” He said as he giggled.

“How do I get it back?” Emma asked him.

“Why, True Love of course. I assume it was on the same man that you lost it to who is also your True Love?”

Emma hesitated slightly. She loved Killian, but what if it wasn’t True Love? What if it wasn’t strong enough?

But she had never felt so strongly with anyone else. When he was dying, she felt as if a part of her was lost; when Neal fell through the portal, she felt as if she was simply losing him.

“Yes, he is,” she said firmly. “But I’ve since kissed him, and nothing.”

“Was it a true kiss? Or a simple peck? Because those things are not as strong, you know,” Rumple said. “But I’ve told you all you need to know. Now tell me, Saviour. Do I succeed? Do I get my son back?”

She didn’t have the heart to him the entire truth, “Yes. The curse works, and you find your son after it breaks.”

“Thank you,” he said, before poofing away with a cloud of smoke. Not one for conversation, was he?

Emma thought about what he said, as she walked back to the spot where Killian was. He was sitting on the same rock where she had left him, not even looking as if he had moved and inch.

She ran up to him and once he stood up, she grabbed his head, and crashed her mouth down to his. She kissed him hard, and while she could tell he was surprised, he didn’t pause to question it.

When she pulled apart from him, but managed to keep his arms around her, “I love you, Killian Jones.”

“I love you too, Emma,” he said, with a smile on his face. “What did that Imp say?”

She closed her eyes, and concentrated on her magic. She managed to summon two mugs of hot chocolate, similar to those Granny would make. She handed one to him, as he stared at her with bewilderment.

“How did you do that?” he breathed. “Your magic, it’s back!”

“You didn’t take away my magic with that kiss. You just blocked it. And kissing you unblocked it,” she said with a smile. “My True Love.” She took a sip of her drink in contentment.

He grinned, and pulled her in tighter. “I love you so much, Swan. Now, what shall we do first?”

“We need to defeat Zelena. But somehow we have to make sure she doesn’t kill everyone else, Archie, Ruby and Granny, my father, and everyone else who helped my mother and father defeat Regina. I don’t know what to do.”

“I think we need to see your father, without telling him who we are. It’s inevitable that we cross paths with him,” Killian said softly.

“Do you know your way to the castle?” she asked him. While she had gone to the palace where they had lived once before, it wasn’t enough for her to know how to get there.”

“I, well, uh-no. if we were at sea, then I might be able to get back. But not from here.”

“When do you get back from Neverland, Killian? Do you know what was happening exactly around that time?” she asked him gently.

“The rebellion against King George and Queen Regina was heating up. I think your father just broke off his engagement with Princess Abagail, and your mother was collecting her friends to help her and David take George’s kingdom after imprisoning the queen. They were at war for a few weeks, but I should get back in a few days from now, seeing that once your parents met, it was about a week until David freed Abagail’s prince from being turned to gold.”

“How do you know so much?” she asked him in awe.

“I’m a pirate, Love. To know how to survive, it is important to be aware of politics. Got to know which kingdoms are worth pillaging after all,” he said with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes, “Of course, now how do we get to the sea?”

“Why do we need to do that?” he asked her in confusion.

“We’re stealing your ship, of course,” she said with a smirk. “If we’re going to the castle, then we need a ship after all.”

“I like how you think,” he said with a smile. “Let’s get to the sea then. If we can’t make a deal with my past self, then I’ll find a way to deal with it.”

They walked together for about an hour, but nothing. No water in sight, only more land. Finally, she paused and turned to him.

“Are you sure you even know where we’re going?” she asked him in exasperation.

“I, uh, no,” he admitted. “I guess I don’t really know the land as well as I hoped.” He stopped suddenly. “Emma, Love, there’s a wolf behind you. Don’t make any sudden movements, or it might attack.”

Emma turned slowly, unsure of what she would find. However, when she did, she realised something, “I know that wolf, Killian.”

“Graham?” she called out. “Huntsman?”

Killian seemed to be looking at her in confusion, but didn’t question her. Slowly, a man came out of the forest.

“How do you know my name?” The man questioned her.

“I’ve heard things about you. I heard how you’re kind and that you have a good heart. I’ve heard that you helped Snow White, when there was nothing in it for you,” she said softly.

“Then you should know that I am not that person anymore. The Evil Queen took my heart, and any compassion I might have had.”

“She may control you, but she cannot take away the part of you that is human, Huntsman. I know you; you’re strong, and your own person.”

“Why?” Graham questioned her. “You don’t know me. So why are you talking to me as if you did?”

“I knew someone like you once; he was strong and full of life. Huntsman, we need your help. No one knows the forest as well as you do; if you would kindly help us get to the sea, we would forever be in your debt. There is something we need to do, to help Snow win against the Queen.”

“I cannot take you there. Regina will know if I go on any quest for far too long. But I can however send my wolf with you. My brother will take you there, and make sure you find your way. You remind me of Snow White; she was loyal, kind, and fair, and didn’t deserve her fate. So I want to help you too; anything to bring down that queen.”

She reached forward and hugged him slightly. She never got to love Graham. Maybe if circumstances were different, she might have been able to, but she wouldn’t change any of it. For she did love Killian, more than she could ever place into words.

“Go Brother,” Graham bent down and spoke to his wolf. “Take these people to the Northern Harbour, then come back and find me.”

The wolf howled, and began walking. Emma gave one final glace towards Graham, before turning away. She had been playing with his shoelace that she wore on her wrist through the entire meeting. It was weird for her to see him, when she never thought she would see him again.

Killian waited until they were a good distance away before speaking, “You knew him, didn’t you?” he asked her gently.

“Yes,” she said. “Graham was the sheriff of Storybrooke when I got to town. He was kind to me, even though Regina was controlling his heart. I began to care for him, and he cared for me. But Regina didn’t like that. She thought I was taking away everything from him, her son, and the lover she was controlling. So she took his heart and crushed it.” She gulped, “I was with him when he passed. He died in my arms. If only I had believed him when he said he was beginning to recall his who he was, or Henry who tried to get me to believe about the curse.”

“It’s not your fault, Emma,” Killian said softly. “Regina is different now. But the one who existed before was cruel and vindictive. If she wanted to truly kill Graham, then she would have succeeded, regardless of whether you believed or not.

The wolf sprinted forward suddenly, leaving Emma and Killian to have to chase after him. Finally, when he stopped, Emma looked around to see water.

“Killian, your ship, she’s here,” Emma gasped slightly.

“Time to go meet my less than stellar former self,” Killian said sounding grim.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By popular request, I wrote another part to this story. Part of me is wondering if something dramatic will happen in the show, causing something which alters the timeline to happen. Hmm… Well until next time, when Killian and Emma get to meet Hook.


	3. Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma meets past Hook, and her parents

“Are you sure this is even going to work?” Emma asked skeptically. “What if he’s not even into me?”

“He will be,” Killian promised. “I was attracted to you from the moment I laid my eyes upon you.”

Emma smiled at that. She never told anyone, but she had been highly attracted to Killian too when she saw him. It wouldn’t have helped her at all if instead of interrogating him, she jumped his bones.

“So what are we going to do when we get to the ship?” Emma whispered from side. They were close to the ship, but had yet to board. She had changed her wardrobe temporarily, using magic, to appear as if she were a female pirate.

Emma had blushed slightly when she realised that Killian couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“He’s not going to want to give up the ship easily. Hook from this time cared about nothing but his revenge, so I doubt he’s going to be willing to help. Especially if he finds out I gave up my revenge,” he said softly.

“Why did you? I mean you made a truce when we went to Neverland, then Rumple died, but what about after? Especially when Zelena was controlling him, you could have used it as opportunity to kill him,” Emma asked him carefully.

“Hook had nothing to live for. After Milah died, the only thing I had left was the need for revenge. It motivated me was killing the Crocodile. But after I met you, I found something else; I found a family, and people who I cared about. I gave up my revenge because I wanted to live, with you,” Killian said as he gazed at her.

“You’re my second chance too,” Emma told him. “You’re my second chance at happiness and to have a family.”

He squeezed her hand, “Let’s go commandeer us a ship.”

They decided the best bet would be for her to get Hook alone in his cabin, that way it wouldn’t raise suspicions if there were two of the same man on board. So while she climbed up the side in a way she knew would get her noticed, and Killian climbed up the side he knew would be unmanned.

Emma wondered why she always ended up climbing up things when she was with Killian. Thankfully for her, the ship had quite a few ledges which made climbing easier.

When she reached the top, she made a point to stand on the rail so she could be seen. “Who be the captain of this vessel?” she asked.

“Who’s asking?” she heard Smee question her. The short man with the red cap came forward, attempting to be more intimidating than she knew he was.

“Emma Swan, Pirate Queen of this realm,” Emma said, as she enjoyed being able to play her role. She had always enjoyed watching pirate films growing up, and this gave her a chance to get to act like one.

“Can’t be very fearsome if I’ve never heard of you,” a familiar sultry voice called out. She turned her head to the right to see Captain Hook standing there. From her periphery, she could see Killian sneak onto the ship, and into the Captain’s Quarters.

“Been gone a long time, Captain Hook,” Emma said with a smirk. “Much has changed in this realm since that time.”

“So I can see,” Hook said as he looked her over. “State your business, Captain Swan.”

She jumped down from the railings and made her way over to him. As she ran her fingers down her chest, she leaned in to whisper into his ear, “Perhaps we could take this someplace more private?”

“How about my quarters?” Hook asked her with a grin.

“Sounds perfect,” she purred. She leaned into his chest, and pushed her body against his.

“Men, I trust you’ll keep yourselves occupied in the meantime.” Hook asked, as he gave them a suggestive wink.

They laughed crudely as Hook guided her to his room. He held his hand on her lower waist, and as much as she cared for Killian, she was so tempted to slap Hook.

“So Captain Swan, shall we take care of business or pleasure first? Unless they are one and the same,” he said suggestively.

“They could have been. Shame it would never be with you,” Emma said smugly.

Hook’s eyes widened in confusion, but he didn’t have much time to think about it as Killian snuck up behind Hook and hit him over the head.

“Ow,” Killian said as he rubbed the back of his head. “Apparently injuring the back of his head hurts me too.”

She laughed as she walked up to him and placed a kiss on his head, “Does this make it better?”

Killian grinned, “Much. Now, since you implied to the crew that we would be doing dirty things, I suggest we wait a while before going back out there, and find some way to occupy ourselves in the meantime,” he said, wiggling his brows.

She smacked his chest gently, “There will be none of that now. Give it a few moments, then we’ll go back out there.”

“We should take care of him first; the last thing we need is for him to wake up and question why another version of him has taken over his ship,” Killian warned.

Emma flicked her wrist, and Hook was tied up against a pillar. She walked over, and wrapped a cloth around his mouth to stop him from saying anything.

“I swear you get off on tying me up,” Killian smirked. “Why else would you do it so often?”

She chose to simply roll her eyes at him, “Come one; let’s go tell the crew we’re going to rob a castle or something.”

* * *

 

He twirled her around, then drew her back into him. Emma knew her parents had been royalty, yet it still amazed her how glamorous the life was; aside from people trying to kill you every thirty seconds.

“Where did you learn to dance like this?” Emma asked, dazed from his skills.

She supposed it could have been from his pirate days, when he actually went about robbing castles, and not just pretended to.

“I was a Lieutenant in the Royal Army. It was a requirement of men to know how to dance when attending social functions,” he said, with pain in his eyes.

One day, when she could properly listen and when he would be able to talk about it, she would ask him. She wanted to know about him; about everything. The storybook Henry had only contained bits relevant to the stories of others, but never about him. She supposed it was because he wasn’t a hero, and didn’t get a happy ending at that time. Emma couldn’t help but wonder if the book updated itself in light of current events.

“Love, as much as I adore having you in my arms, your father is making a move to get to the balcony for some time alone,” Killian whispered in her ear.

Emma broke out of his arms, but intertwined her fingers in his. They made their way through the castle, trying to catch up with them.

“Prince James!” Emma called out, as she entered the room he was in. What she did not expect to see was her mother and father wrapped into a passionate kiss.

When David heard the name he was masquerading under, he pulled away, stunned. Seeing others, he quickly drew his sword, pushing Snow behind him. “What do you want? Who sent you?”

She raised her hands in surrender, “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m an ally,” Emma said gently.

“Oh yeah? Then why are you with a pirate?” Snow asked her, not trusting her peace statement.

“It’s a very long story. Do you think we could go somewhere to talk?” Emma asked them. “If it makes you feel better, you can take our weapons.”

Killian started to protest, but she shot him a look. “Of course your highnesses,” Killian said, as he drew his sword and gave it to them.

“Your hook too,” David said, refusing to drop his sword. “There’s a price on her head, and there’s close to being one on mine too. The last thing we need is for you to be here to collect.”

Emma handed them the sword she had hidden in her pirate boots.

“This room is secure,” Snow said softly. “Other than for you two, which I still don’t understand, no one can get in.”

They had decided on telling them a version of the story, which didn’t involve telling them who Emma was in relationship to them. It was the easiest thing to do, seeing that otherwise they would have no reason to believe them.

“We’re not from here,” Emma began.

“So you’re from a different realm?” David asked in confusion.

“Not exactly,” Emma hesitated. “We’re from a different time.”

“Time travel is not possible!” Snow protested. “It breaks the laws of magic.”

“A powerful sorceress in our time found a way to do so, and she came back here to change things. She wants her happy ending, and that threatens the future as we know it,” Killian told them.

“And how does that affect us?” David asked.

“Because to do so, she needs to kill you, Prince David, and all the allies you have, so Regina can kill Snow,” Emma explained.

“How do you know my real name?” David asked, raising his sword higher.

“Because in the future, I know you. We’re…friends. And Killian and I came back, to prevent whatever Zelena, the witch, tries to do so the future proceeds the way it’s supposed to,” Emma said.

“Okay,” Snow said softly.

“You believe them?” David asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Snow said confidently. “There’s something about Emma. She looks familiar. But she’s telling the truth. So I trust her. If this witch succeeds, then we all die, David. Not just me or you, but everyone we care about. We cannot let that happen.”

“Then we have a lot of plans to make,” Killian said grimly

 


	4. Part IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma comes to an unfortunate conclusion on how to stop Zelena

“So what’s the plan?” Killian whispered to her as they snuck into the castle.

“I’m going to talk to Regina,” Emma said quietly. “And I need you to make sure Zelena doesn’t come in, or warn me if she’s near.”

“Got it, Love,” Killian said softly. “Sure you don’t want my help with her? From what I hear, the two of you didn’t have the best relationship in the beginning.”

“If she sees you, she’ll be confused. She’s heard of you, but she doesn’t know about me,” Emma told him gently.

“Good luck, Lass. I hope you’re successful,” Killian said carefully, as he let her pass by him.

“Me too,” Emma said. For all of their sakes, it would defeat the purpose if Regina ended up killing her.

She had been scouting the castle for the last day, and she was sure that right now Zelena was definitely not with Regina; however it was something that could change at any moment. She placed a kiss on Killian’s cheek, and then snuck into Regina’s room.

While she knew she would have to talk to Regina, she didn’t expect for the Evil Queen to be standing right by the door.

“Who are you, and what are you doing in my room, let alone my castle?” Regina’s voice called out. “Guards!”

From nowhere, two soldiers dressed in black came and grabbed her by the arms. She struggled and began to protest.

“Wait! At least give me a moment!” Emma shouted. “Please.”

Regina motioned her hand for her to go on, seeming as if she had no patience to deal with her.

“My name is Emma. I need to talk to you about something important, your future,” Emma said, trying to sound convincing.

“What are you, a damn gypsy?” Regina sneered. “If I wanted my future predicted, I would summon Rumplestiltskin.”

“So do it. He’ll tell you that I’m telling the truth. Your future depends on what I have to say,” Emma said firmly.

Regina sighed, “Fine, let’s have it. But trust me, if I find you to be anything less than truthful, I will kill you on the spot.”

“I’m not afraid of you. But that’s less than the point. Regina, your future is endangered. I know you have been working with Zelena, but you need to stop,” Emma warned.

“How do you know about her?” Regina sputtered. “She promised that no one would even know she was here.

“Because she’s from the future, as am I. Regina, she says she wants to help you succeed, but she’s lying. If you listen to her, then you will end up unhappy in the future. Because that is exactly what Zelena wants, for you to be unhappy.”

“How will her killing all of my enemies make me unhappy?” Regina questioned. “That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s the process of events. Certain things must happen, and if she succeeds, then they will never come to pass. Regina, I know it seems hard to believe, but in the future, you have a family. You get a second shot of happiness, and trust me, it’s worth it. I just need for you not to trust her,” Emma explained, hoping she would get through to the witch.

“And why would she want me to be unhappy? I’ve never heard of her,” Regina stated plainly.

“She’s your sister. Cora gave her away to get ahead in life, and because of that, she’s convinced that you had everything in life, so she wants to take it all away from you,” Emma told her.

Regina paused, “Are you sure I end up happy?”

“Yes. I can’t give you details. I wish I could tell you, but I cannot,” Emma said gently, as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

“What do you need me to do?” Regina questioned.

“You’re not going to like it,” Emma warned.

“Why not?”

“Because you need to work with Snow White,” Emma said carefully, unsure of what reaction she would get from the Queen.

“And why would I do that?” Regina laughed. “I hate Snow White, and one way or another, I will succeed in killing her.”

“Yes, you can do that later. But to succeed, we all need to work together,” Emma said carefully.

“And what makes you think she’ll trust me either?  She has no form of protection against me,” Regina stated.

“But I do,” Emma said. She raised her hands, and moved all the furniture in the room.

“Pure magic?” Regina gasped. “How is that possible? Unless…”

“I’m a product of True Love. I cannot tell you who my parents are,” Emma told her. “Now, are you in are out?”

“How do I know if I can trust you? What if you’re working with Snow and her people in some sort of attempt to get me to surrender so you can defeat me?” Regina snarled.

Emma sighed, expecting this, “Watch this,” Emma said. She closed her eyes and channeled her memories into a projection. When she opened her eyes, a memory of Regina, Robin, Roland and Henry having dinner was playing against the wall.

Regina watched in awe, both of her magic, and of what she was witnessing.

“Is that real?” Regina asked her, sounding slightly unsure.

“Yes. I can’t tell you how you get to that point, or what it is that you do, but Zelena is going to try and take that away from you,” Emma warned her.

“Fine. I’m on board. But convincing Snow and James is your problem. I don’t care if they help or not, but as long as they don’t try to kill me, I won’t try to kill them either,” Regina said, walking out.

* * *

 

“Absolutely not,” Charming said flatly. “I don’t care who you are or where you’re from, but you can’t just come back here and expect for us to work with Regina. She is pure evil, and I refuse to have anything to do with the woman trying to kill Snow.”

“David,” Emma began.

“No. Snow trusts you for some unfathomable reason, but I have no inclination to do so,” David said flatly. “Now tell me who you are in relationship to me, or at least give me one good reason to trust you.”

“He’s untrusting,” Killian whispered in her ear. “You must get that from him.”

The two of them had decided it was best to speak to David while Snow gathered up all her allies. So far, he hadn’t been taking to the plan too well. They were in a cottage, one Emma assumed to belong to Ruby, seeing that Granny was in the kitchen cooking.

“Please, you need to trust me,” Emma said.

“Not without proof. How do I know that you’re not trying to lure us to Regina so she can just kill us all?” David said firmly.

“I have to tell him, Killian,” Emma said softly. “He’ll know if I just make up a lie. My mother might be the one who trusts people, but my father is the one who can tell when people are lying or not.”

He nodded, “I understand.”

“You cannot tell anyone what I tell you, not even Snow,” Emma warned.

David nodded, “Fine. Now tell me the truth.”

“I’m your daughter,” Emma said. “I’m from the future, and what’s happening is threatening all of us. Zelena sent us all back to the past to rewrite what happened, and while everyone else was here, one way or another, Killian was in Neverland, and while I was conceived in this land, I hadn’t been born yet. My middle name is Ruth, after your mother.”

David softened at the mention of her mother. “Okay. I trust you. I can see the resemblance; you look just like Snow.”

“Thank you,” Emma said softly.

“But is working with Regina really our only option?” David asked curiously.

“Unfortunately,” Killian said softly. “We know how hard that must be for you, trust us. But you need to do this so all of us have a chance of a future.”

“Zelena is going to kill all of you, which means I’ll never be born, and neither will my son, or my brother,” Emma said softly.  She had decided to at least not tell him about the curse. Otherwise if they knew, they would kill Regina on the spot.

“Okay, Snow should be back in a few hours. How do we know Regina won’t try to kill us?” David questioned.

“I’m the product of True Love, so I have magic that is stronger than hers. If she tries, I can stop her,” Emma said strongly.

“Good,” David beamed. She could tell that he was proud of her, and she blushed slightly. “Snow should be back in a few hours, so we can start working on a plan to defeat Zelena then.”


	5. Part VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally face Zelena

 “You’re the one who killed my father!” Snow snarled.

“Yes, but if you hadn’t killed Daniel, then I wouldn’t have had to have married your father, and they would both still be alive,” Regina hissed.

Emma closed her eyes, and massaged her temples. She knew that the two of them hadn’t gotten along in this time period, but she had hoped that they would somehow manage to put aside their differences. Apparently that would not be happening.

They were waiting in Regina’s castle, figuring it was the best way to summon Zelena, as it wouldn’t raise suspicions. Emma was sitting down on a chair with Killian resting his arm around her shoulders.

“Look, it’s not just both of your lines on stake here,” Emma shouted at them. “If you die, then your offspring die. Have you even thought about that? Or are you too caught up in things to care?”

David shifted uncomfortably, and looked miserable that he couldn’t tell Snow what he knew. Emma wished she could just tell them all the truth, but that would raise a whole bunch of questions that she couldn’t answer without causing even more conflict.

“What do you mean offspring?” Regina questioned.

Emma knew that while technically Regina had no biological children, she had Henry and Roland. Besides, at the rate she and Robin were going at it, it was only a matter of time before they had more additions to the family.

She loved Henry, and she wished she could be his only mother, but she had given him up so he could get the best chance of growing up, and that meant with Regina.

“Your children in the future. If you idiots kill each other now, then you’re not taking into account what would happen to them. I’m taking a huge risk putting you in the room right now, but Zelena is the bigger threat, so I’m risking it. So kill each other in your own time, I don’t have time to deal with it now,” Emma said strictly.

Both had the gall to look ashamed. Good, they should be.

“So what do we have to do?” Ruby asked her carefully, cutting in.

Emma stood up, and with Killian’s help, she told them the plan. The group listened intently to her, and she found a surge of power. No wonder people fought wars to be rulers of kingdoms.

* * *

 

“What did you want me here for, Regina?” Zelena asked, sounding bored.

The rest of them were hiding behind a curtain spell that Emma cast, watching the exchange.

“For this!” Regina said with a smile. She raised her hands, and before Zelena could reach, Regina cast a spell on her, preventing her from casting any magic.

“What is this Regina?” Zelena roared. “I thought we had a deal; I kill all your problems, and you take care of Snow White.”

“You failed to mention _why_ you wanted to help me, Zelena. But after some helpful insight, I found out the truth,” Regina  smirked. “Why should I help someone who simply wants for me to be miserable in the future?”

“How did you know that?” Zelena sputtered.

“Did you think you were the only one who came through the time portal?” Emma said, as she brought down the curtain spell.

“You! What are you doing here?” Zelena asked them in confused anger.

“Did I not just tell her how I got here?” Emma asked Killian rhetorically. “Seriously, you need to work on your listening skills.”

“It’s not like it matters anyways,” Zelena laughed. “Once I kill your parents, then you’ll cease to exist, Regina won’t end up happy, nor will Hook give up his revenge, and will probably succeed in killing RUmplestiltkin, therefore, Belle also ends up unhappy. Funny how fate works, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean her parents?” Snow asked, confused.

“Didn’t you tell your dear old mother?” Zelena asked Emma. “Emma Swan, product of true love here is yours and James’ child.”

Snow gasped, “Emma, is this true?”

Emma looked down, slightly embarrassed, “Yes,” she said softly. “But you have to understand why I didn’t tell you. I’m trying my best not to interfere with fate.”

Killian hugged her shoulders, “It’s okay, Lass, we’ll figure it out.”

Zelena pretended to puke, “I see you two managed to work out your differences. Glad I could be of assistance. Do you even want to know how I succeeded? It’s because Regina refused to destroy the pendent, and kept it safely. Then when Rumple tried to kill me, the essence of my life went back to the pendent, and completed the spell, which had already been triggered before.”

“Enough, I’m bored of this,” Regina said sternly. Emma wanted to yell at her, but it wouldn’t solve anything to do so for her future mistakes.

“Same here; seems as if we have something in common for once,” Snow said with a smile. She raised her bow, which had been dipped with the same ink which trapped Rumplestilskin. Zelena, unable to defend herself due to lack of magic, took the full blunt of the arrow as it shot her in the chest, yet was not a fatal blow.

“And now, it’s my turn,” Emma smirked at her. She raised her hands, and took the pendant which Zelena had taken to wearing back around her neck. “This time, I’m going to make sure you cannot cause any more damage.” She waved her hand forward, and grabbed the pendent in her hand, crushing it to dust. She then took the dust, and scattered it in the wind. Emma had learned her lesson about the power which could be contained in dust and ashes after Cora had tried to use those of the wardrobe.

“What are you going to do with her?” Killian questioned.

“Send her back to Oz,” Emma said softly. “I’ve been working on my magic, and it’s strong enough to open a portal to another realm. This way, she can get the punishment she deserves from the Good Witches there.”

“You’re that powerful?” Snow gasped. “James, how haven’t you said anything about this? You’ve had no reaction to any of this, to her being your daughter, or to her having magic, or any of it.”

“I-uh-well,” David hesitated, unsure of what to say.

“You knew, didn’t you?” Snow narrowed her eyes. “How could you not tell me? You know she was our daughter, yet you wouldn’t tell me?”

“Mom, I told him not to,” Emma said quickly, playing the mom card, hoping it would soften her. “I needed him to trust me, and telling him was the only way to do so. Please don’t be angry at him.”

The anger in Snow’s eyes melted, “I guess I see your point,” she said softly. David wrapped her up in his arms, and together, they smiled at her.

“We did well, didn’t we?” David said with a smile, “She’s beautiful.”

“Yes, we did,” Snow said, as she placed a kiss on his lips.

“Can you please just get rid of Zelena already? I can’t tolerate all of these people in my home any longer,” Regina said, disgusted.

She raised her hands, and closed her eyes, focusing her energy into creating a portal. When she opened them, a hole three feet wide in diameter was in front of her. She used her magic to raise Zelena through the air and send her through the portal.

Zelena tried to protest, but the ink spell on her prevented her from doing so.

“Right, so can we all get back to killing each other now?” Regina asked, a wicked smile on her face.

“Sorry, Regina, not today,” Emma said with a smile. “I’ll see you all in the future!”

Before they could question her, she waved her hands at them, creating a forgetful spell upon all of them. This way at least none of them would know what had transpired, thus preventing their knowledge of the future to change anything.

She waved her hands again and scattered the group. She sent her mother and father, plus their allies all the way back to their kingdom, and Regina to another part of her castle.

She partially wished she could have properly said goodbye to all of them, but assuming everything went back to normal, she would see them all again soon.

“You did it!” Killian said softly. He placed his arms around her waist, “I love you so much, Emma,” he said full of emotion.

“I love you too,” Emma said with a smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss.

He moaned slightly, “Not that I don’t enjoy this, but we ought to continue this in our own time. The last thing we need is for Regina to come and kill us.”

“What if I can’t open a time portal though?” Emma asked, worriedly. “It’s far more complicated. I need to open a portal to a land without magic, plus through time.”

“If anyone can do it, then it’s you,” Killian said softly. “You’re extremely powerful, Emma, yet you refuse to use it for selfish reasons.” Killian took her hands into his, “I’m here with you, Love. We’ll do this together.”

She closed her eyes, and held Killian tightly. Her magic came from true love, and Killian was hers. The only way she would be able to do this was with him by her side.

She raised her hands once more, and channelled all of her magic towards opening a portal.

“You did it, Love,” Killian said causing her eyes to open again.

She kept her fingers intertwined with his, “Here’s hoping everything is okay on the other side.”

“Let’s go through it the same way we did everything else, together,” Killian said softly.


	6. Part VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Killian return to the present

“Emma?” David called out. Emma opened her eyes to see that she was back in the hospital. Mary Margret was sitting up in her bed, holding Leo in her arms, and Henry was sitting on the bed. The room was exactly how she had left it.

“Yes?” she asked, her head snapping up. She could see Killian in her side vision, standing in the door.

“I asked if you wanted to hold your brother,” David asked, his voice laced with concern. Did they even know what just happened?

“What are we doing back here?” Killian asked in confusion.

“Where else would you be?” Henry questioned, sounding unsure. “Do you wish to go back to your ship?”

“It’s not that, Lad. It’s just-Emma, could you explain?” Killian asked.

“Something happened,” Emma started. “I think Rumple went after Zelena, and attempted to kill her. It caused the spell she had been working on to get triggered, and it sent us all back in time.”

“What happened?” Snow asked. “How did you defeat her?”

“I got my magic back. Turns out it was only turned off,” Emma told them.

“How?” David raised his eyebrow.

“I-uhm-well, it might have been True Love’s kiss?” Emma winced, unsure of how her family would take it.

“With who?” David demanded.

She laced her fingers through Killian’s. She could see that he was worried about it too, given their experience with him.

“Killian,” Emma said firmly. “He’s my choice, he always has been. It never would have been Neal, even if he was still alive. We were over the minute he framed me and sent me to jail, and I refuse to let you delude yourself into thinking otherwise.”

“He’s the reason you went to prison?” Snow gasped. “How could you never mention that!”

“You never asked! You just assumed that it was a bad break up, and I never corrected you because I didn’t want to have to talk about it,” Emma exclaimed.

She at least had the nerve to look ashamed.

Killian squeezed her hand to show his support for her.

“If Killian makes you happy, then that’s fine, Mom,” Henry beamed. “He’s different. I’ve never seen you so happy, even with Walsh. Besides, I think it’s cool that your boyfriend is a pirate! I enjoy hanging out with him.”

“As do I, Lad,” Killian said with a smile.

“Well, if the pirate is your choice, then who are we to stop you? He keeps proving himself to us time and time again, even when we have wronged him. Someone who fights that strongly for you is a keeper, so I approve,” David said with a smile.

“I’m sorry, Emma,” Mary Margret said softly. “I assumed that just because you loved him at one point meant he was your True Love. I guess I had my ideals based on our world, but clearly it differs in this land. Killian, if you make my daughter happy, then I’m glad. Honestly, I’ve never seen her so happy with anyone, or your walls lowered either. Now continue on with your story?”

Killian smiled, and squeezed her hand, as Emma continued on with her tale.

“So why don’t we remember any of this? I think I would remember meeting my daughter in the past, while working with my stepmother,” Mary Margret exclaimed.

“I might have wiped your memories so it wouldn’t change the future. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem as if anything has changed,” Emma said softly.

“I’m proud of you both,” David said. “You managed to get Regina and Snow to work together in a time where they both hated each other, and defeated Zelena. Now, you have yet to answer my question from before.”

“I would love to hold Leo,” Emma said with a smile. She took her baby brother from her mother and held him carefully in her arms. He was so little, that it almost scared her that she would break him. She placed a kiss on his forehead, and she could see his face turn towards her body.

Killan came closer to where she was standing, and he had a bright smile on his face at the sight.

“Do you want to hold him?” she asked softly, not wanting to wake Leo.

“Are you sure it’s alright?” Killian asked, worriedly, as he looked at his hook.

“You’re family now, Killian, of course it’s okay,” Mary Margret said with a smile.

Killian took off his hook carefully. When he placed it to the side, Emma handed him her brother. Using his good hand, Killian stroked Leo’s cheek, causing him to smile.

“He likes you,” Emma remarked. Killian’s eyes shone with wonder. She could tell that one day he would make a great father, even though he was already a surrogate one for Henry.

“Now seems like as good as a time as any,” David said to his wife.

“Can I ask?” Snow requested her husband, when he nodded, she said, “Emma, Killian, would you like to be Leo’s godparents?”

“Really?” Emma asked in surprise. “Wait, is it normal for a sibling to be a godparent?”

“Lass, nothing about us constitutes as _normal_ ,” Killian said with a smile.

“True,” Emma said with a shake of her head, “I would be pleased to be his godmother.”

“And I, his godfather,” Killian said softly, as he handed Leo back to his mother.

The family sat around Mary Margret all night, enjoying each other’s company, as well as dinner from Granny’s. Emma was happier than she had been in a long time. For the first time, she had everything, a family, and someone by her side who loved her. And that was enough.


End file.
